A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation’s Community Impact Fund will offer new opportunities for the nonprofit to expand its work, particularly with schools and students. 

“The grant was a blessing and it’s significant,” said Krystle Joseph, RMC Charity Executive Director. “We can’t stop our programs just because we don’t have the funding for it. This has been such a gift, literally, to know that we can continue with programming and still work on funding in other areas, because these programs just don’t stop.” 

Specifically, the grant will help the organization fuel its Ripple Effect programming, made up of free interactive bullying prevention workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students. The unique offering educates students on how their actions and reactions generate ripple effects out into the community and with each other.  

“It’s a wonderful program,” Joseph said. “We go into the schools and talk to kids about emotional regulation and kindness as ways to combat bullying. It’s supplemental to the social and emotional learning already happening in the classroom, but they get to hear it from a fun community partner that comes in for a school or classroom assembly to complement what the teachers are already doing.” 

These events have been well received and Joseph feels the organization has helped generate positive shifts in perspectives.  

“We used to do all our programming under the context of bullying prevention and anti-bullying—those were the words we led with in the past,” she said. “Over the past 18 months, we changed that messaging so that we don’t lead with that negativity. We lead with the positivity.  

Therefore, addressing kindness is key. 

“It’s such an easy word to receive no matter how old you are,” she said. “You can understand ‘kind’ versus unkind behaviors. All this is registering with the kids. They’re already hearing it from their teachers, but we’ve also been getting a lot of nods from the teachers because it resonates with them as well.” 

One unique component finds teachers guiding students in something called “notice it.” Students are asked to notice something, name it, map it, and talk about their emotions.  

“That way, when a negative thing happens, first you recognize and name your feelings, then create that path of positivity to how you react to your feelings,” Joseph said. “A lot of times, the teachers are like, ‘Oh, I can take a breath before I react in the classroom.’ And the kids can recognize that. Maybe they’re angry or frustrated that day because they didn’t eat breakfast. Maybe they skipped breakfast and they’re hungry, right? That hangry feeling.” 

Other engaging activities complement those methods. 

These efforts comprise a greater network of intentions and the nonprofit’s broad reach. A recent Kindness Works workshop, for instance, helped individuals use practical tools, listen to inspiring voices, and spark connection and belonging.  

RMC Charity is also involved in National Bullying Prevention Month, which unfolds in October. 

Elsewhere, the organization has teamed up with the Riverside Fire Department to offer vital life-saving technology to Riverside. The tech, PulsePoint, allows Emergency Communications Center staff to alert registered responders of individuals in need of CPR in their vicinity. It also informs callers of nearby lifesaving devices, like AED units. These Public Safety Answering Point telecommunicators are significant links in the cardiac arrest chain of survival. 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, February, 2026.

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Highlanders Boxing Club (HBC), an organization that has long been committed to improving the lives of neighborhood youth via after-school behavioral health and sports programs, is using recent funding from an Inland Empire Community Foundation grant to broaden its efforts to affect change.

Founder Tony Collins Cifuentes, who launched the organization in 2005, says the recent grant will allow HBC to expand some of its programming and where those services are offered.

“This is a beautiful opportunity,” Cifuentes said of the grant, citing that it will enhance the home-based, all-volunteer-run organization. “Things don’t look so good within some communities. There’s a lot of things happening that involve and impact youth and at-risk youth. The IECF grant will help us go forward with other things we do like social services and programs for the kids.”

“We feel blessed,” he added.

After Cifuentes founded the organization more than 20 years ago, he saw a greater need for connection among youth in the area. Initially, the goal was clear: to use boxing, fitness training, and mentoring to spark healthy lifestyles and encourage drug- and violence-free living.

“But then it became important to include our surrounding communities, too,” Cifuentes said, noting the gradual success of the organization. “We started as a boxing gym then had to evolve because we found out that not all youth wanted to become athletes or fighters.”

“We transitioned and offered things like a workforce development program, social services, enrichment classes, and other services,” he added.

The shift from mostly boxing to offering broader services reflected the needs of both San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

“The kids and parents needed more,” Cifuentes stressed. Now, the organization offers programs in several school districts and beyond.

“Our mentoring and social services not only target young boys and girls but also parents, and includes parenting classes,” he said. “We’ve come a long way since I began. Initially, I just wanted to get young kids off the streets that didn’t have a place to go after school. In a community like this, with the population and our culture, there really wasn’t much to offer within these neighborhoods.”

“We took it and ran with it,” he added.

Looking ahead, Cifuentes is excited about several new programs that will filter into the mix, most notably the recent launch of HBC Tabernacle Ranch, which he calls “a safe haven and an oasis where kids can go and be mentored or hike, or just feel safe.”

Educational workshops are offered in the sprawling 30-acre property located on San Bernardino’s north side. Cifuentes said youth can learn about conservation and various forms of environmental stewardship here. Horseback riding, archery, and axe throwing are also offered. So is a nightly campfire and gathering spot for attendees.

“We’re excited about the year ahead,” Cifuentes said. “We also want people that want to help, endorse us or become a sponsor to reach out. We want to keep growing.”

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, February, 2026.

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The community-focused nonprofit located in Coachella has a vision that, in part, will create jobs and other opportunities via arts and media designed for local youth and residents.  

But it’s IECF’s grant that will fuel bigger efforts to enhance a dedicated center located Vine Street and Second Street. Culturas CEO and Founder Oralia Ortiz explains how the city of Coachella allocated an old corporate yard to the nonprofit at a nominal rate. As noble as that was, Ortiz and her team realized that the facility needed much cleaning and enhancements, including powering up again with electricity. 

“We’ve been cleaning it up for years, so these recent funds have helped a lot with that,” she said. “We want to continue opening this space up to families, different types of art, and teaching the kids to run a business by opening up a café/kitchen.” 

The city also allocated funds for architects for enhancements. 

“We do have a new design and it’s millions of dollars, but we don’t have that funding yet,” Ortiz added. “In the meanwhile, the grant will help us power up the facility with electricity, a security system, and proper ADA-compliant ramps, restrooms, and signage. 

“But we’re not waiting for all those millions of dollars to come in,” she stressed. “We want to make sure that we’re using a facility, even if it’s to rent out for pop-up arts and things like that.” 

Overall, Culturas Music & Arts is striving to thwart the stigma of the region by providing unique art and music venues, filling them with artists, musicians, and local organizations. 

“In the beginning for us, there was no art or murals or art programming in the area,” Ortiz said. “We were sitting around with some friends in 2008 and talking about how they had built this brand new wall in a community park that’s right in the middle of the barrio. And that’s where it started. All the artists that contributed to that mural were young graffiti artists or taggers, and many of them never painted a mural before. Most of them didn’t know their own history.” 

The colorful mural depicts Chicano-Mexican history from the pre-Columbia era, all the way to the future. Each panel is 50-feet long and six feet high.  

“Many of the artists involved had to do their research on the particular timeline they chose in the mural,” Ortiz said. “It was a learning experience.”  

The mural was completed in 2012, topped off with a celebration and unveiling dubbed “The Synergy Music and Art Festival.” 

“It really was community-based and grassroots,” Ortiz said. 

Several other endeavors stand out at the nonprofit.  

One of them is Arte Del Barrio, which launched in the early days of the pandemic. Ortiz noted how COVID affected many small businesses and entrepreneurs who relied on extra income.  

“We had a call for artists and crafters to come out and join us,” she said, noting how the nonprofit set up at United Farmworkers headquarters, spiking attendance, creating solidarity.  

In March 2025, the nonprofit generated positive attention with Women Rising Presents Festival de Rebozo. The event became a celebration of “the powerful feminine,” and the women who lead communities, organize causes, and raise children who will shape the future.   

Looking ahead, Ortiz is optimistic. 

“We want others to know that this center can help people,” she said. “Imagine a second-grade class in elementary school—kids everywhere. But as soon as you sat them down, and we’re cutting paper or gluing or coloring, things shift.  

“And that’s what art does,” she added. “I believe this center is important. It will feature music, dance, visual arts, digital design, and traditional crafts, but it will also bring the community together. It will showcase festivals, events, and educate people on their own history.  

“This community is mostly Latino,” she went on. “We want to educate on that culture and showcase traditional arts. We want people to feel proud of where they came from. It’s a healing. It’s wellness. It’s action. It’s pride.” 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, January, 2026.

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For CEO and Founder B. Hunter, overseeing PSL has become a passionate mission, and by the looks of it, the impact is being felt. 

Recently, Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (District 31) named PSL the 2025 California Nonprofit of the Year. 

“It’s one of the biggest recognitions that we’ve received,” Hunter said of the accolades. “It’s an extreme honor. As nonprofits, it’s really hard to get funding. So, to have the credibility of the senator of the state of California’s 31st District, it meant a lot, especially when you’ve started this in your bedroom.” 

Hunter launched PSL in 2016 in the hopes of positively impacting underserved communities. Her approach stood out. She wanted to enhance social-emotional development by pairing it with need-specific resources.  

What followed was a steady flow of motivational messaging, impressive outreach food distribution, health and wellness initiative, artistic installation experiences, creative arts, inspirational film, and collectible products.  

Recent grants from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) through the Community Impact Fund and the Youth Grantmakers Committee Fund-Riverside are further helping PSL expand its impact, specifically with its food distribution. 

“It’s been a journey of highs and lows,” Hunter said of the nonprofit’s journey, overall. “In terms of food distribution, sometimes our suppliers that donate food experience shortages, and they don’t have a lot to give. As an organization, that’s really hard because we have a community waiting for us. There are people camping out as early as 3 a.m. at our distribution site and they have an expectation that we’re going to feed them.” 

“The IECF grants were so helpful because we were able to fill those food gaps to reduce shortages and stabilize costs,” she added. 

To that end, mark your calendars for Jan. 8, when PSL will host its next “Free Food Drive-Thru.” These events take place every second and fourth Thursday in the parking lot of Moreno Valley Mall parking lot by the Crunch Fitness entrance. Food boxes are offered to anyone in need on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

“Power Speaks Louder wants to transform lives by the power of words and action,” Hunter said. “A lot of what we do is not only to meet the diverse needs of our community through lessening the gap of food disparities—or meeting the need through food distribution, health and wellness—but also to empower people. 

“I think adversity doesn’t discriminate,” she added. “Our goal is always to just meet people where they’re at and to give them hope, not only give them the immediate need, but empower them for long -term solutions as well.” 

She also encourages the community to watch PSL’s Still Standing documentary, an experience that she says evokes empathy for local neighbors, “because any of us can fall into hard times and services.” 

Still Standing had its world premiere Aug. 12. It quickly turned heads and nabbed an Emmy Award for how well it challenged the stigma surrounding homelessness and amplifying the voices of the marginalized.  

The doc also featured several stories of individuals who have impacted positively by PSL. It spotlighted available resources and celebrated the resilience of the communities, specifically in relation to post-pandemic recovery. 

Hunter says Still Standing is not merely a title but “a testament to the enduring strength within our shared journey.” 

For more information, visit powerspeakslouder.org. 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, December, 2025.

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Sigma Beta Xi (SBX) Youth & Family Services, which has long been committed to empowering youth and transforming communities, is using recent grant funding from Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) to fuel several key initiatives. 

“A lot of our funding is very restrictive even in the grant writing process,” said Darrell A. Peeden, Co-CEO and Board Member of SBX. “This grant allowed us to have some freedom and creativity. We’ve been able to implement the funding to not just focus on the need of the Black community and our Black youth, but to be inclusive of non-Black youth to start learning about empathy and finding a deeper understanding of the world outside of what they have experienced as a non-Black student.” 

Peeden added that the funding allows its young people to lead and to fill in the gaps that they see are missing for their future, helping them design what they’d like to see and experience. 

“It’s important for us to get young people in the front to lead,” he said. “That’s what we’re all about.”  

SBX launched with humble beginnings at Rialto High School in Fall 1995 under the guidance of Earl Tillman and Kevin Clinscales. The goal was to create a unique leadership development program focused on self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-reliance, while also strengthening a commitment to society, family, and the community. 

A few years later, the “Beta Club” morphed into Sigma Beta and eventually Sigma Beta Xi. In those early days, Peeden and other devoted souls ventured forth with a mission to actively seek out opportunities to make a difference, taking charge and addressing challenges head-on. 

That collective vision transformed from a school project into a thriving nonprofit dedicated to youth empowerment.  

Today, the nonprofit’s list of services is significant, ranging from youth development, housing, and workforce development to basic needs support, restorative practices, and wellness. 

“I’d love for people to know more about the history of who we are,” noted Berenice Zuniga, Co-CEO and Board Member of SBX. “Darrell and I went to high school together and we were part of like that initial group of young people, and there’s been several young people that have done the same in the recent years where they’ve continued to have that community chapter on site at Rialto High School. Or, they’re in Moreno Valley starting workforce projects and really leading and partnering with the adults.” 

“There’s a true authentic holistic partnership that alumni of this organization have with young people of all ages, our youngest being 9 years old,” she added. “A real sensitivity is evident. You can’t really express that in words or put it into a grant proposal. You must come and see it for yourself by being a part of an experience that we’re creating for the community.” 

This is particularly evident in the nonprofit’s workforce development arm, where young people can gain experience through active participation at every level. Fostering economic self-sufficiency is key. One of the main questions the organization asks is whether “a young person doing it?”  That approach, SBX feels, simply builds a more resilient community because it is empowering the next generation of leaders and professionals. 

“It’s quite powerful,” Zuniga said. “One thing I don’t really get to share a lot is how this organization has completely transformed my life as a Latina woman. It has forever impacted the life that my children are going to have. This wasn’t just a moment where I can say, ‘Oh, I appreciate being part of this or that.’ It was literally just from those early interactions at Rialto High School that made a big difference.” 

“Today, our relationships with our young people are lifetime relationships,” she added. “It’s not just a program or a season for them. This is an extension of their family and an opportunity for them to be involved in their communities in a much more impactful way.” 

Learn more at sbxinc.org. 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, November, 2025.

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Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE), which was created by a group of pastors, will utilize the recent IECF grant to strengthen its mission to protect and revitalize the communities in which they live, work, and worship. 

COPE does this by training and developing the capacity of religious and lay leaders in congregations. 

“The recent grant will help us build upon the leadership capacity of not only our staff and our board, but really those who are closest to the problem,” said Pastor Samuel Casey, who also serves as COPE’s executive director. “This allows us to continue to work with them to develop not only solutions, but real innovation that increases their ability to be civically engaged and involved, and actually talking to the decision makers.” 

“Most importantly, it will help us see that real and transformative change actually comes to the communities where we live, work, and worship,” he added. 

The funding comes at unprecedented time in history when the fight for civil rights has grown considerably during the current administration. 

“Investments like this grant make it possible for us to continue doing what we’ve always done, regardless of the political climate,” Casey said. “And that is to organize, intentionally, people into units of power to advocate for their own interest.  It’s just unfortunate that we have to do it more reactively now than we would proactively.” 

Casey founded COPE in 2000 from a listening campaign with African American clergy, lay, and community outreach ministries in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Collectively, these visionaries wanted to create meaningful change in their communities.  

It began as an affiliate of Regional Congregations and Neighborhood Organizations (RCNO) training center, an intermediary organization focused on building the capacity of clergy, laity, and community leaders in small- to mid-sized African American congregations and community organizations. 

Some 25 years later, COPE continues to engage in public policy initiatives that lead to program innovations and stronger communities.  

“Being here gives not only me but other people opportunities to actually live out their life’s purpose,” Casey said. “This is not work for me. It’s a calling.” 

Thus far, COPE’s reach has been significant, encompassing civic engagement, health access, education, and justice reform, to note a handful. 

The latter, in fact, finds the nonprofit taking on the Rethink Public Safety Initiative, which is designed to “promote responsible, restorative, and redemptive approaches” to various justice reforms in schools and communities throughout the Inland Valley. 

To that end, district attorneys, law enforcement, and policymakers can do everything from helping prevent unjust targetings of Black and Latino residents to helping people charged with minor crimes.  

Keeping undocumented immigrant families together may come into play lately as national ICE raids continue to affect several major cities like Chicago and the Los Angeles region. 

Casey notes that the organization’s alliance with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) has also been pivotal. 

Looking ahead, the pastor said the nonprofit encourages locals to get involved, reminding people that government and various corporate practices impact the community because of various policy decisions. 

“With what we see in the world right now, we want to make sure people are made whole and well, regardless of policies and practices,” Casey stressed. “Because right now, we’re just an unhealthy population. There has become greater solidarity and greater unity amongst the ethnic groups and wars that we’re all facing right now.” 

“To simplify it: I’m looking forward to a more just and radical beloved community,” he added. 

For more information, visit copesite.org. 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, November, 2025.

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A recent grant from Inland Empire Community Foundation will allow Terrance and Monette Hamilton, leaders of The Hamilton Essentials, Inc., to further their cause. The non-profit organization offers unique if not creative mental health opportunities through the arts, leadership development, and STEAM services for transitional youth at neighborhood centers, and faith-based and academic institutions. 

“The timeliness of this particular grant couldn’t have come at a better time, given the current climate,” said Terrance Hamilton, co-founder and chairman of the board of the organization. “We were able to identify key shortcomings in the community and contracts that we were no longer having access to.”

To that end, the current grant gives the nonprofit a place “to land the plane on a major upcoming event,” the co-founder added, noting that resources will funnel in that direction with the “2026 YLEAP Summit: Making Cultural Shifts for Youth to Lead.” The event unfolds from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 at Performing Visual and Arts Academy Enhance the Gift in Moreno Valley. 

The high-energy, hands-on summit allows young entrepreneurs and change agents to share ideas, enhance their confidence, and lead other toward sea changes. Attendees can participate in-person or via Zoom.  

The Hamiltons see the event as yet another way their organization can intentionally create spaces where young people take charge and establish new ways of recognizing various power dynamics. 

“The upcoming summit is important because we are putting our money where our mouth is in terms of talking to young people about leadership opportunities and spaces where they can thrive with philanthropist opportunities,” said Monette Hamilton. “We’re providing a space, but also training.  

“They will get training before they present,” she added. “We’ll have presenters doing wonderful presentations on either their businesses or ones they want to start, or even on something they’re passionate about, which they want the community leaders to know.” 

The “presenting” to their peers aspect is key. 

“That’s already scary enough for a young person but to be brave and step up to the mic and talk about what you’re passionate about—and have the resources to do that—is, to me, the cream of the crop,” she said. 

To be sure, the Hamiltons’ collective life experience elevates what is possible with the organization. 

Monette Hamilton is an award-winning, bicoastal program development specialist with more than two decades of experience in dynamic mental health programming through the arts, which is aimed at youth empowerment, life skills, leadership, and staff development. 

Terrance Hamilton had long wanted to partner with community-based organizations that align with enhancing mental health through the arts, life skills and STEM programming. He brings more than 20 years of professional computing and desire to help young scholars develop computer coding skills, which they can then apply academically and outside of the classroom. 

“Monette has been at this for nearly 30 years in the community, beating the pavement,” he said. “I was still a software engineer working primarily aerospace and other industries when we connected, and I wanted to support her.” 

The duo soon found themselves in a situation where an individual wanted to infuse $50,000 into the community for youth programming.   

“There was not a single organization within our contacts or our sphere of influence that could help us pull that money in to do this program in 2013,” he added. “That prompted us to start something.” 

Writing grants followed. 

Programs such as “Burn In Not Out,” a youth empowerment program and professional development training, and a K-12 offering that revolves around coding lego machines and robotics professional development, blend professional growth and self-care.  

“Resources from IECF, of course, allowed us not only to apply for grants but to appreciate the support IECF offers,” she said. “We’ve been very intentional about the grants we write, so it’s been an awesome experience tapping into those resources, but to also see the relationship that IECF has with DEI and other organizations.  

“It’s just amazing to see that model come to work and see the benefits in the community,” she added. 

Learn more at thessentials.org. 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, February 2026.

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Building “a safer, stronger regional economy by growing cybersecurity awareness and skills,” is part of the core mission. 

The new fund arrives at a timely juncture when AI advances and awareness around cybersecurity is on the rise. To that end, the endeavor will support programs that help people and organizations better understand and protect against cyber threats.  

One of those programs is the annual Inland Empire Mayors Cyber Cup (Mayors Cup), which has been greatly supported by IEGO. The unique hands-on competition actively engages students, educators, government officials, business leaders, and other key stakeholders to help grow California’s future cybersecurity workforce. 

Fueled by IEGO, the Mayors Cup is now in its seventh year. It is open to all middle school, high school, and community college students and provides an accessible, entry-level competition designed to ensure equitable access to opportunities in the cybersecurity field. The competition uses a browser-based platform, which allows students with devices such as Chromebooks to participate.  

The event may be virtual, but students do gather in person at their schools or local community centers. The result is a blend of digital learning with social engagement. It’s a thoroughly inclusive experience. 

In March 2025, 350 students from middle school through community college participated in the annual competition. Twenty-seven schools were represented, and nearly half of the students were participating in this unique kind of cyber competition for the first time.  

The winning team was The Real Christian Meglio of Great Oak High School in Temecula. 

“This new fund is a game changer,” said Matthew Mena, IEGO’s Senior Director. “It builds on work already underway in our area and lays a solid foundation for the next generation of cybersecurity talent, economic growth, and innovation.” 

He added that the fund will act as a catalyst, uniting schools, businesses, local governments, and community groups to establish a more secure regional cybersecurity ecosystem. By aligning existing efforts, the fund can expand educational access and create pathways into high-paying careers.  

It can also strengthen the region’s appeal to new businesses and support the relocation of companies seeking a tech-friendly, skilled community. 

“We want to make sure that students are offered an advantage to these resources,” Mena added. “One of IEGO’s hope is that we can reach students and that something like the Mayor’s Cup will spark their interest.” 

Meanwhile, look for IEGO’s Career Launch Showcase—dubbed “Real Stories, Real Advice”—to further expand awareness around cybersecurity. Career Launch will feature individuals in the early stages of their careers. It’s a unique platform designed for recent Inland Empire alumni to share their experiences. 

Khyati Mehta, IECF’s Chief Financial Officer, points out how vital the new fund is as the world heads deeper into the second half of the decade.  

“Cybersecurity is no longer just a technology issue,” she said. “It impacts every business, school, and family in our region. By supporting this fund, we are not only protecting our communities, but also empowering students, educators, and residents with the knowledge, tools, and training they need to stay safe and thrive in today’s digital economy.” 

Community members, businesses, and philanthropists are invited to support the fund and help shape a safer digital future for the region. 

For more information about the Inland Empire Cybersecurity Awareness Fund or to get involved, please visit iemayorscup.com. 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, January 2026.

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The post Fund Spotlight: Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity Launches Cybersecurity Awareness Fund appeared first on IECF.

Girls on the Run Inland Empire, a local chapter of the international nonprofit offering after-school programs—from running and other physical activities to life skills training—for grade school girls, is using those IECF resources to add needed hours to its part-time staff.  

“The funds have already helped us tremendously,” said Molly Widdicombe, Girls on the Run Inland Empire Council Director. “Our 30-hour-a-week program manager is responsible for running the programs throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties, which are very large; 27,000 square miles. So, to add on the extra 10 hours a week to her role really aids in the responsibility. 

“Now, we can expand and continue to move forward,” she added.

The revered nonprofit has generated positive buzz for its key programs and the way they continually help grade-school girls build confidence, encourage healthy habits, and empower girls to recognize their “inner strength and potential.”  

One significant event, a celebratory 5K run, recently unfolded at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.  

In the meantime, the upcoming Sneaker Soiree stands out. The popular fundraising gala will take place on Feb.7 at Loft 84 in Riverside. Attendees are encouraged to wear cocktail attire with their favorite sneakers. Auctions and inspiring talks filter into the celebration, offering a good way to raise funds for scholarships. 

To date, the nonprofit has served more than 1,500 girls in the Inland Empire since 2020. 

“We’re expanding into Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga,” Widdicombe said. “We’re going a little bit more west into San Bernardino County.  Our start may have been in Riverside, and we will continue to have a great foothold there, but we  are also starting to see teams in Temecula, Big Bear, and Twentynine Palms.” 

Widdicombe recalls the origins of the local chapter and how far the organization has come. 

“Our international organization did some market research and saw a need in Inland Empire, because the area was growing,” she said of the decision to launch a local chapter in Riverside in late 2019. “They realized more families are moving out here, because of the more affordable housing. There was a need to have more programs for kids here, especially when parents are working, and the kids were in after-school programs anyway.” 

To that end, the international organization rallied a group of individuals who became the founding local board of Girls on the Run Inland Empire. The programs were ready to begin in March 2020, then stalled a bit due to the pandemic.  

“We really didn’t get to host teams as we know them today in parks, community centers or schools until late 2021 and early 2022, which is when I became involved,” Widdicombe added. “We’ve really grown over the last few years.” 

Inspiration abounds. “Within every girl is a brave and worthy soul capable of achieving her dreams,” boasts the nonprofit’s website.  

Widdicombe strongly believes every young girl should have the opportunity to experience the joy of finding a community, developing friendships, and building confidence—something that lasts beyond the finish line.  

She encourages people interested in starting a team, becoming a coach or volunteering to visit the nonprofit’s website.  

In the meantime, Widdicombe praises all the unique programs available for various age groups, from third to fifth grade girls to those in sixth to eighth grade. She also points out the significance of how well the nonprofit strives to build and instil the “Six C’s”—confidence, character, care, connection, confidence, contribution. 

“I find great joy in this work,” she said. “What excites me is that we have an organization that thrives on that volunteer commitment, and we couldn’t do it otherwise.” 

Coming up! GOTR Inland Empire 2026 Sneaker Soiree | February 7, 2026

 Learn more at gotrinlandempire.org 

This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, December 2025.

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The post Grantee Spotlight: Grant funding helps Girls on the Run go the distance appeared first on IECF.

An East Valley extension of The Center (The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert), the portal has found success being a safe and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community in East Coachella Valley. With its diverse programming and commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, the haven is now a valued resource, especially for LGBTQ+ youth in Coachella, Thermal, Mecca, and North Shore. 

Miguel Navarro, Director of East Coachella Valley Programs at The Center Coachella, calls those younger individuals important change agents, people capable of creating a sea change in the East Valley.  

It all filters into a diverse mix of offerings at The Center Coachella and Navarro is quick to express gratitude for community support and recent grants, like the one the organization recently received from Inland Empire Community Foundation through the FitzDell Gifting Fund.

“The grant funding allows us to continue doing our work,” Navarro said. “It allows us to help LGBTQ+ folks who don’t have the easiest access to transportation to healthcare, resources, connection, and meeting other folks. We create our programming and engagement around that and give them access to all those resources.” 

That can include anything and everything from the organization paying for transportation and/or making sure people have bus passes, especially younger individuals.  

“The resources are vital,” Navarro added. “We have facilitators that will do workshops throughout the year or special invitations to therapists or other non-profit organizations that bring resources to our allies. It all connects.” 

A recent East Valley Pride Festival in October stood out.  

“It was a big celebration in Coachella, and we brought a full day of entertainment, resources, and vendors,” Navarro noted. “All that was supported by the grant.” 

The Center itself is a kind of lighthouse in the East Valley with its resource center and community room that is open to support groups, meetings, small events, and other activities.  

Navarro hope The Center Coachella will continue offering resources to LGBTQ+ individuals living in the East Valley, especially in those unincorporated areas—from Mecca to North Shore. 

One local program close to Navarro’s heart is Mis Amores (My Loves), which serves parents and family members of Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ people.  

“A lot of the time, we don’t have enough literature and resources with Spanish terminology,” Navarro said. “It’s been mostly kept in English. There isn’t a lot of Spanish translation of what it means to be ‘gender expansive’ or what it means to be ‘nonbinary.’ There isn’t a lot of language around hormone therapy, so it takes a lot of time for all of that to be translated in Spanish. It takes lot of effort and research.” 

To that end, The Center Coachella offers a support group twice a month for Spanish-speaking families and allies. 

“We study and we bring education and knowledge to parents and grandparents who have never heard about any of these terms,” Navarro said. “And all those conversations happen in Spanish. If there isn’t something available, we have to translate it and present it to the folks who come.” 

Over time, the initiative has become one of Navarro’s main priorities. 

“I want to continue bringing more awareness around this because I know there’s a lot of farm-working parents and possibly undocumented parents, who have LGBTQ+ kids, and they may feel very alone and isolated,” he said. “When parents come for the first time, they often share that they never realized there was a center or a support group that would be culturally sensitive and it would be in Spanish.  

“And that it would really cater to specific needs of farm-working people, undocumented people, and single mothers that don’t speak English,” he added. 

He points out the importance of continually reaching out to as many parents as possible because the East Valley has a significant number of unincorporated communities.  

“Those communities are some of the most underserved and under-resourced,” Navarro said. “Engagement is even more important for those communities. And even though we have an office in Coachella, I’ll tell you, if someone lives in Oasis or Mecca, it’s still at least 30 to 35 minutes to get to, so that becomes a challenge.  

“In the new year, we’re going to be promoting Mis Amores as much as possible,” he added. 

Learn more at thecentercv.org. 

This story originally appeared in the Desert Sun, December 2025.

Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The post Grantee Spotlight: Foundation grant gives The Center Coachella valued boost appeared first on IECF.